6:30 in the evening.

Zhao Heng returned to the apartment allocated by the hospital. As soon as he entered, he saw that his parents were already sitting by the dining table waiting for him, with a table full of dishes set.

"Son, wash your hands and eat, today's dishes are all your favorites."

Upon seeing her son return, Zhao's mother immediately spoke with a beaming smile.

Having not seen her son for over a year, she had initially planned to stay for a longer period this time to take care of his daily life.

However, back home, she had heard many stories about those struggling to succeed in North City, like living in basements or renting an upper bunk for 700 yuan.

Fortunately, after visiting, she found that her son was doing quite well, which finally put her mind at ease.

"Okay, Mom."

Zhao Heng nodded, feeling a warm surge in his heart.

Since graduation, he had been working hard in North City for nearly two years. In these two years, he didn't know how he managed to persist.

Luckily, now that the cloud has lifted and the moon can be seen, those tough times have passed.

Zhao Heng changed into slippers, washed his hands, and sat at the dining table.

"Mom and Dad, now that you're here, why don't you stay? There's enough space here. Back home, farming doesn't earn much, and it's dependent on the weather."

Zhao Heng suggested to his parents again.

"You child, your dad and I just came to see you. In such a big city, what could your dad and I possibly do?"

Upon hearing her son's words, Zhao's mother immediately replied.

She wanted to stay by her son's side to take care of him, but she also knew about the challenges of struggling in North City and didn't want to add to his burden.

"Isn't a family supposed to be together? What I earn now is enough to support the three of us. Besides, if you and Dad are bored, you can always find something light to do."

Zhao Heng persuaded.

The longer he worked in the hospital, encountering more life and death situations, the more Zhao Heng realized the value of family.

Zhao's mother wanted to say more, but Zhao's father said, "Let's listen to our son."

He understood his son and knew that he wouldn't say such things unless he had thought it through.

As for finding something to do, Zhao's father wasn't worried because he had skills.

In their hometown, besides farming, Zhao's father was known for catering large banquets, both red and white events.

His level of skill was unanimously recognized by everyone in the surrounding area.

With this craftsmanship, Zhao's father was able to support Zhao Heng to become a prestigious university graduate.

Handling large banquet spreads and making small dishes, snacks, and pastries were all within Zhao's father's capabilities.

However, Zhao's father was most skilled at making noodles—a variety of noodle dishes that he could easily master. He had devoted half of his life to studying this craft.

"Old man, you're not thinking of opening a noodle shop, are you? Your skills might be appreciated back home, but in such a big city, where people have seen it all, who would eat what you make?"

Having spent so many years together, Zhao's mother immediately understood her husband's plans as soon as he spoke.

However, she lacked confidence. Although her husband's skill in catering was praised back home, it might be a hard sell in a big city like North City.

"Dad, isn't running a restaurant too tiring?"

Zhao Heng couldn't help but say.

"There's no such thing as too tiring. Do you want me to sit idle at home and end up senile?"

Zhao's father waved his hand dismissively.

"That's settled then. Your mom and I have some savings, and tomorrow I'll check out the local market area to see if there's a suitable small storefront."

After a pause, Zhao's father spoke again.

It's clear from his words that he had been considering this for some time.

The rent in market areas is much lower than on main streets, and they also have a large flow of people. Done well, there's no worry about not having business.

Furthermore, opening his own noodle shop had always been Zhao's father's dream.

Regardless of the size of the shop, just having one of their own, where the couple could take care of it and make their specialty noodle dishes with their son nearby, would be the happiest life for Zhao's father, who had been busy and on the move for most of his life.

Seeing his father so determined, Zhao Heng didn't say anything more.

As long as his parents could stay, that was enough for Zhao Heng.

Besides, he currently had a decent monthly income. Roughly calculated, with his salary, performance bonuses, and social media earnings, he could make forty to fifty thousand a month.

As for renting a small shop in the market, Zhao Heng thought that the rent would be around three thousand at most. If they took over an already existing snack shop, the cost of tables, chairs, and utensils combined would be four or five thousand, which was doable.

The shop didn't need to earn a lot of money; it was mainly to give his parents something to do. For Zhao Heng, just getting by daily would suffice.

"Son, the girl who came with you to pick us up that day, is she our future daughter-in-law?"

Zhao's mother suddenly asked.

The old man cared about the noodle shop, but Zhao's mother's primary concern was naturally the future daughter-in-law.

"Mom, she's not even officially my girlfriend yet."

Zhao Heng shook his head slightly.

"What? Not even a girlfriend?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao's mother was a bit shocked.

In the eyes of the older generation, coming along to pick the parents up, arranging this and that, such tasks were generally done by a future daughter-in-law in their hometown.

"Mom, don't worry about it. We young people have our own way of getting along."

Zhao Heng said.

"Okay, but you better hurry up. I'm still waiting to hold a big grandchild."

Zhao's mother nodded.

"Mom, I'm still young."

Zhao Heng said somewhat helplessly when he heard his mother's words.

"Young what? At your age, many back home have already had a second child."

Zhao's mother said.

"Our son is just starting his career; it's time to focus on work. Besides, what age are we in now? It's okay to take it slow."

Zhao's father advised.

He understood that having a formal job in a big city like North City, with even housing provided by the hospital, was already quite impressive among young people.

As for starting a family, it would likely require more time to build on.

Each generation has its own beliefs. In Zhao Heng's parents' era, having a bicycle at the time of marriage was considered affluent.

But now, such scenarios are rare among young people, especially in big cities that demand car ownership, houses, and an income of millions annually.

However, in Zhao Heng's heart, he also wanted to prioritize his career first, with everything else following later.

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